Pazzi Conspiracy

The Pazzi Conspiracy was an attempt by the House of Pazzi, the second-most notorious banking family of Florence, to take over control of the Republica Florentina from the House of Medici by killing their leaders Lorenzo de Medici and Giuliano de Medici. The attempt, backed by the Spanish Knights Templar Grand Master Rodrigo Borgia and even Pope Sixtus IV, was nearly a success, but it was foiled due to the intervention of the Assassins Order.

Background
The House of Pazzi gained fame for their role in the First Crusade, with "Il Pazzo" becoming the first man of the Crusading army to enter Jerusalem in 1099. Pazzis from then on had a major role in Tuscan politics, and through political lobbying and banking, they gained influence in the Republica Florentina and the city of San Gimignano. The Pazzi family was at the top, until a new banking family rose: the House of Medici. Led by Lorenzo de Medici, they climbed the social ladder and pushed aside the Pazzis in the 1400s with the aid of Giovanni Auditore da Firenze. In revenge, Jacopo de Pazzi cooked up a plot against the Medicis.

Jacopo de Pazzi made an alliance with Rodrigo Borgia, a wealthy Spanish nobleman who was the leader of the Knights Templar Order. The Pazzis were to take over Florence, giving influence to the Borgias in the city as well as increasing their own power and getting revenge. Pazzi made connections with several people: from Gonfaloniere (Law officer) Uberto Alberti to Priest Antonio Maffei and banker Bernardo Baroncelli. The huge coffers of the Pazzis were spent on hiring an army of mercenaries, with Bernardo bringing enough staves, swords, axes, and armor to equip a battalion (300-1,200 troops).

Auditore Executions
When Francesco de Pazzi was thrown into jail, accused of murder, Giovanni Auditore da Firenze had threatening evidence against him. The first hostilities opened at a fight on a bridge between Vieri de Pazzi and Ezio Auditore da Firenze's gangs, which the Auditores won. However, the conspiracy cooked up soon after. Gonfaloniere Alberti had the Auditores charged with treason, so Giovanni had Ezio deliver a letter of proof to Alberti. Alberti promised him that they would be acquitted, but this was an empty promise: he had them executed by hanging the next morning, saying that he never received a letter.

Ezio and his mother and sister escaped to a brothel run by Paola, the sister of family servant Anetta, and Ezio learned the ways of the Assassin. With hidden blades and skills, all he had to do left was get his revenge. He followed Alberti to the Santa Croce cloister for an unveiling of Verrocchio's latest works, and stabbed him in the chest with his hidden blade, killing the man who had betrayed his father and two brothers. Word quickly reached the other Templars that the Auditores were still alive and seeking revenge.

Battle of San Gimignano
Ezio Auditore left Florence with his mother and sister, escaping the attention of the law, Pazzis, and Templar agents in the city. He headed to the Villa Auditore owned by his uncle Mario Auditore in Monte Riggioni in Tuscany, where he was greeted warmly. His uncle taught him combat and other vital skills, and one night, he rode off to slay Vieri de Pazzi, who had tried to ambush Ezio and company en route to the estate. Mario, Ezio, and many Monteriggionian mercenaries arrived at the gates of San Gimignano, which was defended by Templar mercenaries; the city was too big to hold, so they snuck in through the south gates. Once inside, the mercenaries of both sides started hacking and slashing, and Ezio made his way to a meeting between the Pazzis and Borgia. After the meeting ended, he searched for Vieri, and he assassinated him on a tower.

Plot to Assassinate
Despite the death of Vieri de Pazzi, the conspiracy was not yet over. The Templars met in the catacombs under Santa Maria Novella Church in Florence and Ezio followed them, listening in on their conversation. He found out that Bernardo Baroncelli had supplied enough arms to equip a battalion of mercenaries, and he also heard that they planned to kill Giuliano de Medici and Lorenzo the Magnificent as they were entering Church for Sunday Services on 26 April 1478. On that Sunday, he looked around the crowd outside of the Florence Cathedral for Francesco de Pazzi, planning to assassinate him. However, by then it was far too late.

Ezio spotted Lorenzo and his wife and Giuliano and his mistress entering the crowd to wait for the Church bells to ring, but he heard that at the bells the Templars would strike at the Medicis in front of the whole population of Florence.

Bernardo Baroncelli and Francesco de Pazzi struck at Giuliano, stabbing him to death with their knives. Stefano da Bagnone and Antonio Maffei assaulted Lorenzo, wounding him across the throat but failing to finish him off. Soon, the mercenaries moved into kill Lorenzo, but Ezio burst from the crowd and killed many of them with aid from Medici guards. Although Francesco ran off, Ezio decided to help Lorenzo back to his palazzo before pursuing Francescso. He heard that he was assaulting the Palazzo della Signora, so Ezio knew where to go to find him.

Ezio found Francesco at the top of the cathedral, and Francesco escaped death by jumping and taking the leap of faith into a pile of hay. After a long rooftop chase, Ezio killed Francesco with two throwing knives. The death of the second-in-command of the conspiracy led to the hiding of the rest of the associates of Jacopo.

Hunting the Pazzis
He returned to Mario, who found out from one of his scouts that they located all of the conspirators. He headed to San Gimignano first, as it was the closest location to him. There, it was reported that conspirator Bernardo Baroncelli had been extradited to from Constantinople, having been arrested by Lorenzo de Medici, so Ezio moved into locate him. Using Eagle Visionw hile atop a tower, he located Baroncelli and chased him down, killing him with two throwing knives.

Ezio's next assassination target was Archbishop Francesco Salviati, who was traced to the Villa Salviati in Tuscany. Rather than sneak, he was given command of an army of Mario's mercenaries and sent to subdue the villa guards and kill Francesco Salviati. With six men, he stormed the villa and tripped Salviati, before lunging and stabbing him in the chest with his sword.

Ezio found out that Stefano da Bagnone, another Priest in the conspiracy, was hiding near an abbey. He entered the abbey and grabbed the attention of guards by bumping into one, but he spotted Bagnone and managed to stab him in the chest with his hidden blades. With the guards on him, Ezio made his escape, running away and throwing a smoke bomb, distracting the guards. He saddled up on his horse and rode off to the next target.

The final name on the list was a third priest, Antonio Maffei, who was in San Gimignano on a tower preaching for the civilians to repent. Ezio painstakingly climbed the tower and attacked Antonio, slashing him with a hidden blade and pushing him off the tower. Maffei died, scolding Ezio, and he was the last of the minor conspirators to die.

Jacopo's Downfall
With the others dead, Jacopo de Pazzi was the last name on the list besides Rodrigo Borgia. Ezio trailed Jacopo to a meeting, hoping to add new Templars to his list of future targets, and he stealthily followed him. He followed him to the meeting place, where he found Rodrigo Borgia. He heard Rodrigo admonish Jacopo, who blamed the failure to Francesco, and he heard a "Signor Barbarigo" talking. He witnessed Jacopo being hacked down by Rodrigo Borgia and Emilio Barbarigo, and Rodrigo noticed Ezio in the shadows, and had two mercenaries bring him forwards. Ezio killed the two mercenaries, after they laughed at his offer of sparing them, and he put Jacopo out of his misery with his sword. He evaded the remaining guards, and fled from the scene.

== Aftermath ==

The death of Jacopo de Pazzi ended the Pazzi Conspiracy, with all of the Pazzis dead. The Medicis were able to take over full control of Florence thanks to the aid of Ezio, who was loyal to his father's masters. Ezio prepared to move to Venice so that he could stop the Templars from clawing out a base there, and he would hunt down the House of Barbarigo.